Smoak, Jays end Red Sox's 10-game win streak in slugfest
Justin Smoak hit two home runs and had four RBIs as the visiting Toronto Blue Jays emphatically ended the Boston Red Sox's major-league-leading 10-game winning streak with a 13-7 victory Friday night.
Smoak (3-for-5) tied teammate Yangervis Solarte for the team lead in home runs with 16. Kevin Pillar (4-for-5) also drove in four runs and Dwight Smith Jr. had a two-run blast and three RBIs for Toronto, which had lost four of five.
Mookie Betts (3-for-4) hit two triples and had two RBIs for Boston. The Red Sox lost for the first time since dropping the rubber match of an important three-game series against the rival Yankees in New York, 11-1, on July 1.
Boston maintained its 3 1/2-game lead over New York atop the American League East after the Yankees' 6-5 loss in Cleveland.
Toronto starter Ryan Borucki lasted three innings, giving up seven runs (four earned) on eight hits and four walks with five strikeouts. Blue Jays reliever Jake Petricka (1-0) earned the win with two scoreless innings.
Red Sox starter Rick Porcello (11-4) surrendered a season-high eight runs over two-plus innings. He allowed seven hits and walked four batters while striking out two, suffering his first loss in six starts since June 10.
After his first-inning triple, Betts knocked another three-bagger to drive in two in Boston's five-run second. Betts' hit came within inches of the yellow home run line in center field, but a crew chief review confirmed the call.
Trailing 6-3 entering the third, Toronto mounted its own five-run frame to pull ahead 8-6. Smoak started the scoring with his solo homer (15th of year), and Smith's blast (2) broke a 6-all tie and ended Porcello's night.
Mitch Moreland hit an RBI single in the fourth to bring the Red Sox within a run.
The Blue Jays broke the game open with a three-run eighth. Smoak's two-run blast in the ninth capped the scoring.
--Field Level Media